Standing up for a friend or brother as his best man is not only an incredible honor, it’s a big responsibility. From planning a bachelor party, to keeping the wedding rings safe to toasting the groom and his new spouse, there’s a lot to do.
While most best men look forward to the bachelor party and the actual ceremony and reception, many aren’t quite so keen to speak in front of a large crowd. If you’re nervous about public speaking or aren’t used to writing, crafting your speech can be a chore.
To help inspire you, we’ve curated 99 appropriate best man speech quotes for your use. No matter what your speaking style, you’re sure to find a quote or two to enhance your speech.
In This Article
Best Man Speech Quotes About Friendship
If you’re looking for a quote to celebrate your friendship with the groom, here is a mix of silly, serious and heartfelt quotes that you can use in your best man speech.
- “If you have two friends in your lifetime, you’re lucky. If you have one good friend, you’re more than lucky.”
― S.E. Hinton, That Was Then, This Is Now
- “In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”
— Unknown
- “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States
- “Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.”
— Misty Copeland, American ballet dancer
- “There are friends, there is family and then there are friends that become family.”
— Unknown
- “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.”
— Irish proverb
- “Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find.”
― William Shakespeare, “The Passionate Pilgrim”
- “Friendship is when people know all about you but like you anyway.”
— Unknown
- “A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”
— Unknown
- “I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.”
— A.A. Milne, “Winnie-the-Pooh”
Best Man Speech Quotes About Love
There’s no time better than a wedding to talk about love. If you’d like to pay homage to the love your friend shares with his new spouse, one of these beautiful quotes should do the trick.
- “Love one another and you will be happy; it is as simple and as difficult as that.”
— Michael Leunig, Australian cartoonist
- “When two people love each other they don’t look at each other they look in the same direction.”
— Ginger Rogers, American actress
- “We never live so intensely as when we love strongly. We never realize ourselves so vividly as when we are in the full glow of love for others.”
— Walter Rauschenbusch, American theologian
- “To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”
— Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
- “There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion than a good marriage.”
— Martin Luther, German theologian and writer
- “Love is the sum of our choices, the strength of our commitments, the ties that bind us together.”
— Emily Giffin, American author
- “Love is the greatest refreshment in life.”
— Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist
- “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”
— Mignon McLaughlin, American journalist
- “Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.”
— Voltaire
- “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”
— Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher and poet
Best Anonymous Speech Quotes
Some of the best marriage quotes around come from anonymous sources. Whether you want to offer advice, be funny or say something heartfelt, you’re sure to find a quote here that’s worthy of being included in your speech.
- “It’s not as great a day for the bride as she thinks. She’s not marrying the best man.”
— Unknown
- “My speech is going to be like a mini-skirt: long enough to cover the essentials and short enough to hold your attention.”
— Unknown
- “Here’s to the groom, a man who kept his head even while he lost his heart.”
— Unknown
- “Don’t ever stop dating your wife and don’t ever stop flirting with your husband.”
— Unknown
- “Spending time with each other each and every day is a secret ingredient to making your marriage last a lifetime.”
— Unknown
- “For a marriage to have any chance, every day at least six things should go unsaid.”
— Unknown
- “They say you don’t marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can’t live without. That sums up these two perfectly.”
— Unknown
- “It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.”
— Unknown
- “Love is blind — marriage is the eye-opener.”
— Unknown
Funny Best Man Speech Quotes
If you’re looking for a way to make your speech amusing, throwing in a funny quote or two can’t hurt. Here are some of the best love-related quotes sure to make your audience chuckle.
- “A man is already halfway in love with any woman who listens to him.”
— Brendan Behan, Irish poet
- “Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.”
— Jim Carrey, actor
- “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
- “It’s a funny thing that when a man hasn’t anything on earth to worry about, he goes off and gets married.”
— Robert Frost, American poet
- “Men wear the pants in the relationship but women control the zipper.”
— Unknown
- “An archeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.”
— Agatha Christie, English novelist
- “A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he’s finished.”
— Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress
- “A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.”
— Terry Pratchett, English author
- “Love is a lot like a backache. It doesn’t show up on X-rays, but you know it’s there.”
— George Burns, American comedian
- “It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.”
— Rita Rudner, American comedian
Romantic Best Man Speech Quotes
What could be more romantic than marrying the love of one’s life? If you want to surprise the groom and his new bride with something thoughtful and sweet in your speech, these quotes are a good place to start.
- “To love without condition, to talk without intention, to give without reason, to care without expectation; That’s the spirit of true love.”
— Unknown
- “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”
— Aristotle, Greek philosopher
- “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
— Audrey Hepburn, American actress
- “There is only one happiness in life – to love and be loved.”
— George Sand, French novelist
- “You know your feelings are real when you spend more time thinking of the one you love than of yourself.”
— Unknown
- “The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman’s heart.”
— Josiah Gilbert Holland, American novelist and poet
- “When love reigns, the impossible may be attained.”
— Indian proverb
- “You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.”
— Colleen Houck, American writer
- “Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married.”
— Sam Levenson, American humorist
- “In a great romance, each person plays a part the other really likes.”
— Elizabeth Ashley, American actress
Best Man Speech Quotes Offering Advice
All newlyweds need some good advice to bring to their marriage. Here are some great quotes that offer up pearls of wisdom your buddy and his honey are sure to appreciate.
- “Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.”
— Phyllis Diller, American comedian
- “Real giving is when we give to our spouses what’s important to them, whether we understand it, like it, agree with it, or not.”
— Michele Weiner-Davis, Divorce Busting
- “Be presidents of each other’s fan clubs.”
—Tony Heath
- “Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.”
— Barnett R. Brickner, Rabbi
- “You win or the relationship wins.”
— Terry Hargrave, marriage expert and author
- “A husband and wife may disagree on many things but they must absolutely agree on this: to never, ever give up.”
- “Be one another’s favorite place to go to when your minds search for peace.”
— Unknown
- “The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree but to hold hands.”
— Alexandra Penney, American journalist
- “The first duty of love is to listen.”
— German-American philosopher
- “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”
— Ruth Bell Graham, American Christian author
Deep Best Man Speech Quotes
If you’re a bit of a philosopher, these quotes will make a great addition to your speech, just be sure to limit it to the one that best suits your personal style.
- “A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet
- “The success of marriage comes not in finding the “right” person, but in the ability of both partners to adjust to the real person they inevitably realize they married.”
— John Fischer, American philosopher
- “The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.”
— Robert C. Dodds, author
- “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”
— Barbara Johnson, American literary critic
- “Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threaded, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. That is what makes a marriage last.”
— Simone Signoret, French actress
- “The development of a really good marriage is not a natural process. It is an achievement.”
— David and Vera Mace, co-authors
- “The capacity to love is tied to being able to be awake, to being able to move out of yourself and be with someone else in a manner that is not about your desire to possess them, but to be with them, to be in union and communion.”
— Bell Hooks, American author
- “Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
— Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, French aviator, writer and poet
- “Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner.”
— Amy Bloom, American author and psychotherapist
- “Being married is like having somebody permanently in your corner, it feels limitless, not limited.”
— Gloria Steinem, American journalist
Wise Best Man Speech Quotes
Marriage is about much more than love and romance, it’s also about how to interact with each other on a daily basis. If you want to offer the married couple some practical wisdom, one of these great quotes should do the trick.
- “To get divorced because love has died, is like selling your car because it’s run out of gas.”
— Diane Sollee, smartmarriages.com
- “There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day, knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.”
— Ronald Reagan, American president
- “Happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. By this I mean a mutual respect for and enjoyment of each other’s company.”
— John M. Gottman, American psychologist
- “What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.”
— Leo Tolstoy, Russian author
- “Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation.”
— Oscar Wilde, Irish poet
- “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ come together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”
— Dave Meurer, American author
- “Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.”
— Franz Schubert, Austrian composer
- “The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.”
— Amy Grant, Christian music artist
- “A good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust.”
— Nanette Newman, English actress and author
- “The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It’s a choice you make – not just on your wedding day, but over and over again – and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife.”
— Barbara De Angelis, American consultant
Inspirational Best Man Speech Quotes
If you’re speaking at a Christian or Jewish wedding, you may want to include a quote from the Bible in your speech. While many of the quotes are from the New Testament, there are a few great Old Testament quotes about love that would work for Jewish nuptials. Here are 10 of the best quotes about love and marriage from the Good Book.
- “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
- “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
— Ephesians 5:25
- “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”
— Song of Solomon 8:7
- “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9
- “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
— 1 Peter 4:8
- “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
— Ephesians 5:21
- “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
— Ephesians 4:2
- “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
— Romans 12:10
- “Do everything in love.”
— 1 Corinthians 16:14
- “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
— Proverbs 3:3
Best Man Speech Quotes from Pop Culture
Even Hollywood can offer good advice sometimes. Here are some of the best quotes from movies, TV and books to include in your speech.
- “What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life – to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting.”
— George Eliot, Adam Bede
- “Why is it that people get married? Because we need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything… The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things, All of it… all the time, every day. You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed – because I will be your witness’.”
— Susan Sarandon, “Shall We Dance?”
- “We are asleep until we fall in love!”
— Leo Tolstoy, “War And Peace”
- “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”
— Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
— Billy Crystal, “When Harry Met Sally”
- “Would I rather be feared or loved? Umm… easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
— Michael Scott, The Office
- “Love starts as a feeling, but to continue is a choice. And I find myself choosing you, more and more every day.”
— Bending The Universe by Justin Wetch
- “Love is a great beautifier.”
— Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- “People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.”
— Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- “It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.”
— Robin Williams, “Good Will Hunting”
Our Top 5 Best Man Speech Tips
If you’re still in the creation stage of writing your speech, here are the five most important things to keep in mind. Need more help? Check out our article on how to write a memorable best man speech .
1. Brainstorming helps
One of the best ways to get started writing a speech is to brainstorm ideas. Simply think about your memories of the groom that make you laugh or that illustrate what a great person he is.
As you brainstorm, make a list of all the memories and ideas that come to mind. Once you’ve finished brainstorming, think about which one or two stories lend themselves best to a speech. Which memories would be easiest to share? Which stories would be most likely to interest your audience? How long will they take to tell?
Choose either one longer memory or two short ones and then start fleshing them out with supporting details. Once you’ve done that, look to see which quote or quotes would best support the ideas you plan to share.
If you plan to talk about your friendship with the groom, you could say something like this:
It’s been said that “there are friends, there is family and then there are friends that become family.” Todd is just that: a friend who has become family. Since we met in Grade 3, he’s been like the brother I never had. My life is better because of his friendship.
2. Use a common theme
Finding a theme for your speech will help it to flow naturally. Not only will it be easier for you to deliver, but it will help capture and hold the attention of the wedding guests.
If you decide to make your speech funny by telling amusing tales about your friend, then it’s a good idea to choose an amusing quote to add to that part of your speech so it stays cohesive. If, however, you are sharing a story about how the groom has become the best version of himself since meeting the love of his life, then using a more heartfelt quote is more appropriate.
Offering advice to the newlyweds is also acceptable. And if you decide to do that, you can either begin or end that portion of your speech with a quote that sums up the advice you want to share. For instance, you could say:
According to Ruth Bell Graham, “a happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.” The best advice I can give you is to never let anything get in the way of forgiving each other when arguments occur or hard times arise. You need to be on the same team and support each other. That is the key to long-lasting happiness together.
3. Don’t be afraid to show emotion
It can be difficult for some men to show emotion, but at least a portion of your speech should include a few heartfelt sentiments.
Whether you talk about what an amazing friend the groom is or about how happy you are for him and his soulmate, that can be a great place to include a quote. The key is to choose one that integrates seamlessly into what you are saying.
If you want to talk about the joys of marriage, for instance, you could say something like this:
As a married man myself, I totally agree with what former U.S. President Ronald Reagan once said, “There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day, knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.”
Todd, I am so happy for you that you’ll now too be able to experience the simple joy of having Laura waiting for you at the end of every day. There truly is nothing better than coming home to the one you love most in this world.
4. Don’t forget to mention the groom’s spouse
While the majority of your speech will likely be about the groom, it’s also important to reference his new bride or groom.
While your speech should start by reminiscing about your friend, it’s important to transition into talking about the other half of the newly married couple.
It could be as simple as stating that your friend has never been happier since meeting his soulmate. Or you can talk about why you think they are so perfect for each other. However you choose to do it, be sure that any quotes you use flow with that portion of your speech.
If you decide to talk about what a perfect match they are, you could say something like:
As Aristotle once said, “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” Never have truer words been spoken when it comes to Todd and Laura. They are so perfect together, I have no doubts that they were destined to fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together.
5. Do end with a toast
As the best man, your speech is sure to be one of the most anticipated of the night, so end right by offering your congratulations to the newlyweds. Here are a few examples:
It’s been said “you don’t marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can’t live without. That sums up these two perfectly.” They are truly made for each other. Todd and Laura, I wish you much love and happiness in the years to come. Let’s toast the bride and groom together! Cheers!
English author Terry Pratchett says “a marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.” May you have a lifetime of happy and snore-less nights together. To the bride and groom!
By remembering these tips and choosing the right quotes, you’ll be well on your way to a successful best man speech.
